1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to folding boats and more particular to folding boats that are easily portable, lightweight and convenient to store in a folded configuration.
2. Description of Related Information
Folding boats are a desirable item for sports enthusiasts who do not have the space to store full size boats, or the capacity to transport a full size boat to and from waterways. In addition, folding boats are desirable for use a secondary water craft in instances of where a larger recreational boat does not have sufficient storage space for dinghies. Existing portable folding boats are either expensive to manufacture, difficult to assemble, prone to leakage or are not sufficiently compact enough in their folded configurations to be easily transportable by the average sized automobile. Furthermore, there are no folding boats that have safety rails that can be erected when the boat is in the operational mode. While the following examples of prior art all deal with these problems to some degree, they all tend to be either to impractical, complicated and time consuming to assemble an duse, or not versatile or efficient for many separate uses or conditions.
The folding boat disclosed by Straussler in U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,147 may be relatively easy to boat to unfold into an operational mode, however, the two large seams along the two hull are prone to leaking. Furthermore, this boat folds lengthwise and thus making storage and transportation of this design cumbersome. In addition, this design lacks any type of safety rail.
The lightweight folding boat with tent and trailer as disclosed by Stokes in U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,238 is relatively easy to unfold and is not prone to leaking. However, this folding boat design inherently requires trailer for transporting the boat. Also, the folded configuration is bulky and thus difficult to store conveniently. In addition, this design lacks any type of safety rail.
The folding boat as disclosed by Rough in U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,371 is also relatively easy to unfold and not likely to leak. However, this design suffers the same disadvantages as stated above because the folded boat is bulky which likely would require a trailer as well as certainly require a relatively expansive area to store. In addition, this design lacks any type of safety rail.
The portable, foldable and collapsible water cycle disclosed by Liard in U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,987 may unfold easily however because of folding the boat along the entire longitudinal axis results in difficulties in transporting and storing this design. In addition, this design lacks any type of safety rail.
The folding boat disclosed by Steensen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,834 may also unfold easily however the boat in the folded configuration remains bulky and thus would likely require a trailer to transport the device and also would require a considerable storage area. Furthermore, this design lacks any type of safety rail.
The folding boat disclosed by Loper in U.S. Pat. No. D314,741 unfolds easily, however the boat in the folded configuration remains bulky and thus would likely require a trailer to transport the device and also would require a considerable storage area. Furthermore, this design lacks any type of safety rail.
None of the above mentioned disclosures have adequately addressed the problem of designing a foldable boat that is relatively inexpensive, easy to unfold, convenient to transport while minimizing the necessary storage space, as well as, providing a safety rail on the foldable boat. Therefore, there is a need for such an apparatus. The instant invention is designed to overcome these problems by providing an affordable folding boat that is easy to transport on or in a standard-sized commercial vehicle, easy to unfold into an operational mode, storable in a minimum storage area, that also provides a safety rail.
The apparatus of the present invention overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks that are characteristic of these aforementioned designs. More particularly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a foldable boat apparatus that is easy to transport, easy to unfold into an operational mode, storable in a minimal area and having a safety rail.
In a preferred embodiment, the folding boat comprises a first and second main panels, wherein each of the first and second main panels having a top, a bottom, a forward end, a rearward end, and two opposing sides, wherein the first main panel rearward end is pivotally hinged to the second main panel forward end, wherein the second main panel is movable and lockable to an operational position where the second main panel is substantially coplanar with the first main panel, and wherein the second main panel is movable and lockable to a folded position where the second main panel top substantially faces the first main panel top; a first, second, third, and fourth pontoons wherein each of the of the first, second, third, and fourth pontoons having a front end and a rear end, wherein the first and second pontoons are attached to to the first main panel bottom where the first and second pontoon are attached substantially in parallel with respect to each other and where the first and second pontoon front ends are substantially aligned towards the forward end of the first main panel and where the first and second pontoon rear ends are substantially aligned towards the first main panel rearward end, wherein the third and fourth pontoons are attached to the second main panel bottom where the third and fourth pontoon are attached substantially in parallel with respect to each other and where the third and fourth pontoon front ends are substantially aligned towards the forward end of the second main panel and where the third and fourth pontoon rear ends are substantially aligned towards the second main panel rearward end; a first, second, third, and fourth drop leaf panels, wherein the first and second drop leaf panels are pivotally hinged to separate sides of the opposite two sides of the first main panel, respectively, wherein the first and second drop leaf panels are movable and lockable to the operation position where the first and second drop leaf panels are substantially coplanar to the first main panel and wherein the first and second drop leaf panels are movable and lockable to the folded position where the first and second drop leaf panels are substantially perpendicular to the first main panel top, wherein the third and fourth drop leaf panels are pivotally hinged to separate sides of the opposite two sides of the second main panel, respectively, wherein the third and fourth drop leaf panels are movable and lockable to the operation position where the third and fourth drop leaf panels are substantially coplanar to the second main panel and wherein the third and fourth drop leaf panels are movable and lockable to the folded position where the third and fourth drop leaf panels are substantially perpendicular to the second main panel top; and a first, second, third and fourth fences wherein the first, second, third and fourth fences each having a base, a plurality of legs and a handrail, wherein each base is pivotally hinged to the bottom ends of the corresponding the plurality of legs and where the top ends of the corresponding the plurality of legs is pivotally hinged to the corresponding the handrail, wherein the handrails and the corresponding plurality of legs are movable and lockable to the operational position where the corresponding the plurality of legs are substantially perpendicular to the corresponding the bases, and wherein the handrails and the corresponding the plurality of legs are movable and lockable to the folded position where the corresponding the plurality of legs relative to the corresponding the base form an acute angle of less than twenty five degrees, wherein each base corresponding to each of the first, second, third, and fourth fences is individually pivotally hinged to a separate corresponding first, second, third, and fourth drop leaf panel, respectively, wherein each base is movable and lockable to the operational position where its corresponding the plurality of legs are substantially perpendicular to its"" corresponding panel surface, and wherein each of base is movable and lockable to the folded position where its corresponding plurality of legs are substantially parallel to its"" corresponding panel surface.